Albania Travel Diaries: Berat, A City of a Thousand Windows (and one Wine Window)

Berat is one of Albania’s most atmospheric cities; a labyrinth of cobblestone streets, white-washed buildings and row upon row of white Ottoman-era homes stacked on the hillsides. Divided by the Osum river, the historic Mangalem and Gorica neighbourhoods make up the two halves of the Old Town, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. A still-inhabited castle sits on the hilltop, and mosques and churches sit alongside each other in a city which has a long tradition of religious coexistence.

We spent 2 nights in Berat, giving us an evening and a full day to explore this City of a Thousand Windows, so called because well – see for yourself.

We visited Berat as part of our 2 week Albanian road-trip. We picked up our rental car at Tirana Airport before heading north to Shirokë, and then on to Berat, Gjirokastër and to the Albanian Riviera before heading back to the capital Tirana.

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Where we stayed in Berat

We booked N’Gorice after we’d changed our itinerary slightly, and our original guesthouse couldn’t accommodate the change of date. But this was an excellent alternative. Not only because we had access to free local wine and raki.

We did wonder where breakfast was served but all is revealed the next morning. Turns out the guesthouse kitchen is hidden away in an innocent looking cupboard. Or so we discover when we go downstairs to find the lovely Silvana whisking eggs like her life depended on it. Yes, more eggs.

The stairs up to the two rooms were a little steep, and would be awkward with large suitcases; luckily we’d left half our luggage in the car, knowing our room would be quite compact. We have a spectacular view of the castle though. N’Gorice was just steps away from the Varur Bridge, connecting peaceful Gorica with bustling Mangalem.

We booked a Deluxe Double Room at N’Gorice for €115 (£96, or £48 a night). This included breakfast and free cancellation. Parking was offsite, a few minutes walk from N’Gorice and cost 500LEK (€5) per night.

Our Berat travel diary

We unpack what we can in the small space, and head out to explore a little. It turns out that in Berat, the art of the social evening stroll is alive and well. It’s very Italian, but here in Albania, la passeggiata is known as the xhiro. So we head to the the bar- and tree-lined Bulevardi Republika, the place to see and be seen in Berat.

We visited at the start of October and the weather was GLORIOUS! We had blue skies and sunshine, and evenings were warm enough to stroll around with just a light jacket. I highly recommend an autumn visit to Albania 🌞

As dusk falls, a band strikes up under the trees. We find a spot on a bench which is clear of bird poop – a souvenir of the earlier starling murmuration – to listen.

Our first night dinner is at Gimis House, located in the Gorica neighbourhood, close to our guesthouse. It’s a newcomer on the Berat restaurant scene, competing with more established restaurants like Tradita e Beratit, Homemade Food Lili, and Amalia. Ours was a simple but traditional meal; Mr Fletche had the stuffed eggplant whilst I opted for fërgesë, a dish made with tomatoes, onions and roasted red peppers in a white cheese sauce. It’s delicious.

Our juvenile waiter is keen to practice his (already excellent) English and even keener to shove shots of raki down our throats. He’ll go far in the hospitality industry, mark my words. We finish off our night with an incredibly strong cocktail at Good Vibes, overlooking the fairy-lit arches of the historic Gorica Bridge.

Exploring Berat

We meet Silvana for the first time as she emerges from her cupboard with our breakfast. She’s interested in our plans for the day; we tell her that we’re off to explore Berat Castle. Walking or driving? she asks. We haven’t climbed any hills since we left Shirokë so naturally we’re planning to walk.

And the only way is up. Although we quickly find out that not all “ups” lead to the castle. Our up leads us to a rooftop bar which looks like it has a pretty incredible view, but as it’s only 10am – and the bar’s sadly not open – we descend the slippery cobbles (the signs warn us not to step on the white cobbles as they are the most slippery. Which begs the question: why put them there?) and try again. This time we actually follow the signs, to a much more obvious route to the castle. Let the climb commence. Again.

Berat Castle (Kalaja e Beratit)

Perched high upon the hilltop overlooking the Old Town, the 13th century fortress is still inhabited to this day. Within the castle walls, tourists mingle with residents, and churches, mosques, shops. hotels and restaurants sit together in this unique elevated district with a thriving community.

We spend around three hours at the castle, it’s a surprisingly sprawling complex with viewpoints, ruined fortifications and residential lanes. The picturesque Holy Trinity Church is the standout site, a red-roofed Byzantine church dating back to the 14th century. You can’t enter the church, but its worth taking the steps down the hillside if just for the backdrop.

We’d intended to eat at Mbrica, but they were only allowing access to tour groups when we approached. We have lunch instead at Temi, which is slightly marred by sharing our food with a swarm of bees.

The walk up to the castle is a steep one – we paused SEVERAL times to catch our breath and give our wobbly legs a rest. It turns out the walk down the hill is slightly easier, if a little jarring on the knees.

There’s a public car park at the top if you prefer to drive, and there are taxis available at both the top and the bottom. The city’s E-Bus also travels between the bus station and the castle.

Mangalem district

We spend the afternoon weaving our way around Mangalem. This is the old Muslim quarter which nestles below the castle, and is the heart of Berat. The best postcard views of Mangalem are actually from across the river in Gorica – very handy for us! Late afternoon in particular gives the best views, as warm sunlight washes over the white buildings.

We took a detour to popular Shtëpia e Kafes Gimi for a frappe and a crepe. Turns out that eating a whole chocolate hazelnut crepe to yourself easily substitutes the need for an evening meal.

The most famous of Berat’s windows 🍷

Whilst you’re exploring the tightly packed lanes of Mangalem, make sure you look out for Albania’s only “wine window” at Semani Restaurant. Ring the bell, hand over your money (cash only) and receive your wine. Oh, and prepare to do a deep squat, as the window is located about two foot from the ground 😉 There are a few chairs scattered along the street, or some steps where you can enjoy your homemade wine (or raki!). Wine – red or white – is 300LEK/€3 and raki is 100LEK/€1.

(If you don’t want the magic spoiled, DON’T look through the door as you approach… it’s a bit like getting a glimpse of the real Wizard of Oz behind the curtain 🤣)

Getting to Berat

Berat is located around 100km south from the capital Tirana. It’s possible to reach Berat by public transport; local buses (called furgons) leave every half hour from the Tirana Bus Terminal North and South and the journey takes around two and a half hours. These can’t be pre-booked; tickets are purchased onboard and cost around 600 LEK. Berat’s bus terminal is around 3km north of the Old Town. There are also bus services to and from Sarandë and Gjirokastër.

We travelled south from Shirokë, stopping at the seaside town of Durrës along the way, a journey of around three hours. Berat is a little out of the way if you’re travelling north to south; we ended up retracing some of our route to get us back onto the SH4 leading to Gjirokastër. But I promise its worth the detour.

We booked our hire car via Local Rent – an online car rental platform that works with local providers.

Driving/Parking in Berat

Everything in Berat is pretty walkable so you shouldn’t need a car whilst staying there. Our hotel, on the Gorica side of the river, had off-site private parking, charged at 500 LEK or €5 per day. There’s also a large public car park, located close to the Gorica Bridge 📍

Final reflections on Berat

It’s possible to see the highlights of Berat in one day but giving ourselves two nights meant that we could relax. And let’s face it, everywhere is better without those pesky tourists around 😉

Berat doesn’t really need a plan. There’s something to discover around every corner, and every corner is incredibly photogenic. The city of a thousand windows gave us a thousand memories to bring back home.

Planning your next trip?